Contents:
• Why did Jesus speak in parables?
• The kingdom of heaven has mysteries
• Be ever watching and ever perceiving
• The parable of the Sower explained
• The deceitfulness of wealth
• The parable of the mustard seed
• Jesus sent people away
• The parable of the weeds
• Treasure hidden in a field
• New treasures as well as old
• Why a prophet is not accepted inside his own home

Before reading this commentary, I encourage you to first read the text of Matthew chapter thirteen.

Verses 1-2

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore.

Verses 3-9

Jesus then presents to the crowd, the parable of the Sower which we’ll dive into the commentary for it below when Jesus explains to the disciples its meaning.

Verses 10-17

The disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?” This is a great question which Jesus is about to answer. If I had been there among the disciples, I might also have been inclined, in my ignorance and limited spiritual understanding, to raise my hand and suggest that more people could be saved if they understood more plainly the message Jesus was giving. Can you imagine if today missionaries from your church traveled to a foreign country and then proceeded to speak to the people in riddles?

Jesus then explains to his disciples, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.”

Okay, first of all, the kingdom of heaven has mysteries. The bible says that God rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:6). This is why I strongly believe that self-discipline is a big part of our daily worship. Again, salvation is by faith, but God wants to reward people who earnestly seek him. The person who makes time to study God’s word even though they don’t feel like it, are the ones who get rewarded with the knowledge to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Likewise, the person who prays regularly and consistently even though he has a busy schedule, is the one who is rewarded with the knowledge of the mysteries. And in like fashion, the one who chooses to take time out of his busy schedule to fellowship with mature and wise believers, is also the one who is rewarded with the knowledge of the mysteries.

For example, I know some Christians who shrug their shoulders and claim that we are not meant to understand the book of Revelation. Yet, I know other Christians who can explain the book of Revelation in great detail. So we see that the person who shrugs their shoulders, doesn’t want to understand it. The self-discipline of diligent bible study is too laborious for them. Thus, it remains for them a mystery. Yet the person whose burning desire is to know God more, will make Bible study their life style. They will study the Bible in great detail over the span of years and even decades. They are the ones who are rewarded with the knowledge of these mysteries.

Jesus gave the knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven to his disciples but not to the crowds. Why? Jesus continues, “Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. This is why I speak to them in parables:

Has what? I believe verse 15 gives us the answer “For this people’s heart has grown callous”. It appears that the person who has a heart for God, will be given even more of a heart for God. But the person who does not have a heart for God, his heart will be hardened by God.

Jesus spoke in parables to the crowds because he knew they didn’t really have a heart for God, they were just following Jesus because they wanted him to give them stuff. Food, healings, etc…

Today whenever I see someone attempting to justify their rejection of Christianity, the reason they give is always so flimsy. The flimsiness of their argument demonstrates to me that they longed in their heart to reject Jesus Christ, and sought out an excuse to do so, rather than actually attempting to weigh the validity of their own argument.

But notice in verse 14 Isaiah said, “they will be ever seeing but never perceiving”. This is the verse from where I draw my often-used phrase, “Be ever watching and ever perceiving”. Do you see how I flipped it? I use this phrase to mean that you should always be, especially within Christian circles, weary of, and on the lookout for false doctrine and false teaching. This is no different than when self-defense experts talk about having situational awareness. The person who is walking and totally absorbed by their phone, fails to see a threatening individual approaching them. Perhaps they fail to see an open man-hole cover or a bicyclist heading straight toward them riding on the wrong side of the street. Situational awareness is the act of paying attention to what’s happening in your surroundings so that you can avoid danger and possible injury. By having the attitude of ever watching and ever perceiving anytime you encounter a Christian who has placed himself into a role of authority, especially authority over you and your family, you are weighing carefully everything he says against what the Bible says. Is this guy a genuine Christian or is he a spiritual threat to your family? This is especially important when it comes to your children, because they simply have not had the time in God’s word that you have had. Children can be easily deceived when the person leading them is exciting and fun. You send your children off to a summer bible camp, but who is teaching them? What are they being taught? Spiritual deception is very subtle and often masks itself with cultural norms.

Verses 18-23

The seed sown along the path

Jesus then goes on to explain the parable of the Sower. In his explanation we see that there are 4 types of responses to hearing the good news of Jesus Christ. The first is the person who doesn’t understand it, demonic forces come and snatch away what little was sown into their heart.

In the book of Romans the apostle Paul writes “Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)

So let’s assume for a moment that you hear the gospel, but you don’t understand it. What should you do? You should have an inner desire to seek God. You should make your body a living sacrifice to God. How does one do that? This is why I strongly believe that self-discipline is an act of worship. Again, salvation is by faith and not by works, but the person who longs for God will seek him out. This, in turn, requires self-discipline because it takes self-discipline to read the Bible daily even when you don’t feel like it. It takes self-discipline to get out of bed early so that you can spend quality time in prayer before heading off to work.

In my personal opinion, lazy Christians, who seldom or perhaps never read their Bible, seldom pray, seldom associate with Christians wiser than themselves, are the ones who are in danger of becoming one of these people that Jesus is describing in this parable of the Sower.

Many Christians do not pursue God. They have no desire to read the Bible, let alone study it. They have no time for prayer. They may have plenty of time to binge watch an entire season of Lost in Space on Netflix, but when asked about the consistency of their prayer life, they claim they don’t have time.

Notice that Paul talked about the renewing of the mind. If a person became a Christian at age 30, we can say that it took them 29 years to learn how to become the messed-up individual they now are. Therefore, there should be some expectation that it might take a few years to undo all of that mess. This is the reason why a new Christian needs to associate regularly with other wise Christians, continue reading the bible and continue in prayer, seeking after God. The renewal of the mind is not instantaneous. It is a journey and takes time. You have to continue within Christian fellowship long enough for this renewal of the mind to take effect.

The person in the parable who doesn’t understand the good news, likely just goes back to what they were doing before, having not seen the value of pursuing God. But if you want God, you’ve got to start hanging around those Christian influences. This is why I believe men should be in a men’s bible study. They say that if a man comes to church the family will follow. So men; what are you doing? Why are you not in a men’s bible study?

Also, here’s a piece of advice. Arrive at church several minutes early and after the service ends, stay several minutes late. Talk to people. Introduce yourself and get to know them. Through my decades of church experience I have seen many times that individuals who walk into church late or at the last minute, and after the service they dash out the door, those people never last. We, the congregation, don’t even get the chance to learn their names. We never have the opportunity to invite them to a bible study or to a fellowship dinner. We see them for only a few weeks or months as they slip in late every Sunday and dash out the door the moment church is over. Eventually they quit and never come back. They are the seed sown along the path. They do not last because they made no Christian friends.

The seed sown on rocky ground

The second type of person Jesus talks about in the parable of the Sower is “The seed sown on rocky ground”. This is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy, but since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.”

He received the word with joy but had no root. What do you suppose that means? I believe it very likely means that this person was never filled with the Holy Spirit. Again, if you desire God, ask, seek and knock and he will give you the Holy Spirit.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)

Weather a pastor, or a famous worship leader that once praised God before thousands but is now an ardent atheist, we’ve all heard stories of people who were a Christian at one point, but now they are no longer.

They were seed sown on rocky ground. I personally know people who at one time they were leaders of bible studies, they volunteered at church, they sang on stage, but today they would say they no longer even believe that God exists. They lasted only for a season. As soon as something in their life made it inconvenient to follow God, they quit. God was for them a hobby, no different than when I took up shoreline fishing for a while. It was great fun while it lasted but spending $20 on shrimp and squid every time I went, only to have that bait go bad laying in the hot sun because I’m not catching anything, caused me to become discouraged and quit.

When a person does not have the Holy Spirit, their involvement in Christianity is a hobby. When it becomes inconvenient, they will quit. This can happen to lay people, pastors, elders, deacons, worship leaders, anyone. If you are not yet filled with the Holy Spirit, you are not yet a follower of Jesus Christ. Being filled with the Holy Spirit requires Faith. You must want God. I suspect that many of these people who have no root, probably are seeking some other superficial benefit of being a Christian. Perhaps it’s friendships, perhaps it’s finding a mate, perhaps it’s the receiving of accolades from people. With regards to pastors who have no root and don’t last, I suspect it was merely a career choice.

There are many well known and famous former pastors who are now atheists. Doing a simple Google search, I found the names of several. They are the seed that fell on rocky ground. They had no root. They never sought, nor ever asked for the Holy Spirit. They were an empty shell. Like finding a seashell on the beach, it’s pretty on the outside but there is nothing living on the inside.

The seed sown among the thorns

This is me. This is the pitfall I have to watch out for. The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Let’s talk first about the worries of life, then we’ll dive into the deceitfulness of wealth.

First, however, take notice that unlike the first two individuals, this person is saved, but is unfruitful. The first one didn’t understand the gospel and left. The second one hangs around for a while but doesn’t have the Holy Spirit (they never put their faith upon Jesus Christ). This third one, there is no mention of them not being saved, but that they are unfruitful.

This, in my opinion, represents the majority of U.S. Christians. Not only so, but Christians can move in and out of this group repeatedly during their life. Any time worries pop up in one’s life, it might cause an individual to be so distracted, they become unfruitful.

There have been times during which my problems occupied so much of my mind and mental energy that I had little empathy for the prayer requests sent out by my church. For example, when my car broke down and I didn’t have enough money to get it fixed. Without a car, how was I going to get to work to earn my paycheck? Oh, but Bobby Smith is requesting prayer for his daughter because she has to study for her math test. I find it hard to be concerned about Bobby Smith’s daughter’s math test, when I’m on the verge of losing my job because I have no transportation.

When I have huge worries in life, I find that my prayers are nearly 100% inward focused, “Lord help me with…..” There is little upward focus, and almost no outward focus. Unless someone is dying, I find that when my own problems seem so big, I tend to have little concern for other people’s problems, including them hearing the gospel. The worries of this life cause me to become unfruitful.

Walking in faith means that we have complete trust in the fact that what Jesus Christ said, what the Word of God says, is true. If Jesus Christ is true and the word of God is true, (which is what we are putting our faith in), then when we read in the Bible that God is our provider, we should be able to make the conscious decision to trust that God will provide. Furthermore, God also said:

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)

Thus, if you are financially struggling, and the cause of your struggle is your own lack of wisdom (your financial struggles are the results of your own poor decisions) you should have the faith to ask for wisdom, as the Bible instructs you to do, and to believe that God will give you that wisdom, just as the Bible says He will do. Walking in faith is the act of making conscious decisions based upon your willingness to believe that what God said is true, even though your present circumstances seem to point to the opposite.

Walking in Faith is your willingness to ignore what the present circumstances appear to be pointing to, and instead choosing to act on a belief that what God said is true, and which, of course, is accompanied by abundant prayer.

The deceitfulness of wealth

First of all, let’s define what wealth is. In these United States when people talk about the wealthy, they tend to think of millionaires and billionaires, however, if you live in the US and earn $35,000 a year, you are in the top 10% of wealthiest people on planet earth. Thus, as you read in the Bible about the deceitfulness of wealth, do not assume it doesn’t apply to you simply because you’re not a millionaire. It very much does apply to you, and we’re going to see exactly how.

Consider the meaning of the word “deceitfulness”. It means to mislead someone by means of lies and trickery. A person who is deceived is not one who came up with a crafty plan to do evil. On the contrary, they are a person who fully believes they are doing the right thing, but are following a lie and are unaware of it.

Think of a child who is offered a piece of candy if he will get into the car of a stranger. He is being deceived. He is told he will receive something good, but in the end, he is abducted. Satan wants to do the exact same thing to you.

What is the deceitfulness of wealth?

A reality of life is that aside from salvation, love and friendships, money can solve all other problems. There is no problem in life, besides the three aforementioned, that money can not solve.

If you’re hungry, money will buy you food. If you’re thirsty, money will buy you something to drink. If you’re cold, money will buy you warm clothes. If you need transportation, money will buy you a car. If you need faster transportation, money will buy you an airline ticket. I can go on and on. Money is the solution to nearly every problem.

Because money is a universal remedy for problems, it’s very logical that those without money would put their hope in trying to get money. Likewise, it’s very understandable that people who have a lot of money come to rely upon and trust in, the money they have.

Meanwhile, Jesus Christ wants us to put our hope, reliance and trust upon him. This is a very subtle distinction, so let me give you some examples:

If you earned $50,000 last year, but your annual living expenses were $55,000. You might arrive at December 31st, and looking ahead to the new year say to yourself, “I want to earn an additional $5,000 this year.”

Did you see it? It’s very nuanced. You struggled financially this year because you didn’t earn enough money to pay for all your living expenses. So in thinking about the start of a new year, you concluded that the solution to your financial problem is more money. And in fact, that is true. More money will solve your financial problem.

But where did you place your hope? In Jesus or in that extra $5,000? You were putting your hope in the $5,000. That is the deceitfulness of wealth.

Don’t get me wrong. I want you to earn that $5,000. I would congratulate you if you earned an extra $10,000 more. But the deceitfulness of wealth is placing your hope upon money as the solution to your problem, rather than Jesus. Again, this is a very subtle difference. The subtlety is what makes it deceitful, because more money is in fact the solution to your financial problems. You should try to earn more money, however, you can not put your hope in acquiring more money. Your hope must remain upon Jesus Christ.

If my monthly mortgage payment is $1,000 and on a given month, I don’t have $1,000, but at the same time, I am aware that my employer is going to hand out bonuses this month, suddenly I find that I am placing my hope in that bonus. Why? Because more money is the obvious solution to not having enough money. To identify this subtle deception ask yourself, “What am I putting my hope in; money, or Jesus?” If the answer is more money, than you are in error. Again, I still need that bonus in order to pay my mortgage. That doesn’t change. More money is still the solution to my lack-of-money problem. But where is my hope? My hope should remain in Jesus.

Let me give you another example. This example is about people who rely upon the money they have, rather than relying upon Jesus.

There was a period of time when business was slow for me and we were very tight on money. Our adopted daughter was only a few months old and drank only baby formula. At that time, a box of baby formula cost $65. It also happened to cost about $65 to fill my car’s tank with gasoline.

Rather than filling the tank with gas and then coming up short on being able to buy baby formula, I instead, would put just enough gas in my car each day to get me where I needed to go.

On one occasion I was 16 miles from home. The dashboard light came on indicating that I was low on gasoline. I drove another mile and passed by the last gas station on that highway for the next 14 miles. In that moment, my mind was occupied with other things, I looked right at the gas station as I drove by but didn’t even think to stop.

About 7 more miles down the road I happened to glance again at my dashboard and was shocked to see that the gas gauge needle was below “E”. The E of course, stands for empty. This was not an electric vehicle or a hybrid, it ran only on gasoline, and I was out of it.

In that instant I realized my blunder. I was supposed to have stopped at that previous gas station but I forgot. And the realization that there were no more gas stations for another 7 miles, I was suddenly filled with dread at the reality that I was probably going to run out of gas and be stranded on the side of the highway.

I began to pray earnestly to the Lord that I would be able to make it. I switched into the slow lane, turned off the A/C and put on my cruise control to try to conserve what little gas might be remaining in my tank. I kept praying that I might be able to make it. I would glance occasionally at the gas gauge only to realize that I had never before seen the needle that far below the “E”. Mile after mile I kept on praying and driving. I finally reached the intersection where the gas station was. It was a red light and I had to stop and wait for the light to turn green before I could cross the intersection and pull into the gas station. I was wondering what I would do if the engine suddenly died while I was waiting for the light to turn green. Finally, the light turned and I went through the intersection and pulled up to the gas pumps. I turned off the engine and thanked the Lord. I had driven 7 miles without any gasoline. I considered it a miracle.

The reason I tell you that story, however, is to point out how I otherwise normally behave. You see, I’ve driven that same stretch of highway many many times. Normally, business is good and there’s plenty of money in my bank account. Normally, whenever my car gets down to half a tank, I just fill it back up again and otherwise don’t even think about it. This is an example of how the rich come to rely on their money rather than Jesus.

When I drive 16 miles from one town to another on a full tank of gas, it doesn’t even occur to me to thank God that I made it without running out of gas. The only time I cry out to the Lord for financial provision is when I don’t have any money and can’t pay my bills. But when there’s plenty of money and all the bills are paid, do we even think about God’s provision, let alone getting down on our knees and crying out to the Lord, giving thanks for what we have? Instead we just go about our lives taking for granted how the Lord is providing for us, every moment of the day.

For most people, financial abundance places them into a situation where they rely upon their money and Jesus becomes an afterthought.

Remember when I previously talked about self-discipline as an act of worship? If you truly love Jesus and have financial abundance, you will do something with your time, your schedule or your automated reminders, that will help you to keep Jesus at the forefront of your mind, even when you are financially very comfortable.

Don’t just cry out to the Lord during bad times. Train yourself to spend time at the feet of Jesus daily, even during good times.

While Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. As He entered one of the villages, He was met by ten lepers. They stood at a distance and raised their voices, shouting, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

When Jesus saw them, He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were on their way, they were cleansed.

When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice. He fell facedown at Jesus’s feet in thanksgiving to Him—and he was a Samaritan.

“Were not all ten cleansed?” Jesus asked. “Where then are the other nine? Was no one found except this foreigner to return and give glory to God?”

Then Jesus said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well!” (Luke 17:11-19)

Rejoice at all times. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

The seed sown on good soil

But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.” (Matthew 13:23)

The good soil is operating our lives in faith to Jesus Christ.

What is the crop? It is the spreading of the gospel, contributing to the spiritual growth and maturity of others, and supporting ministries and missionaries that do the same.

Verses 24-30

Jesus then presents to the crowd, the parable of the weeds which we’ll dive into the commentary of below when Jesus explains to his disciples its meaning.

Verses 31-32

This is the parable of the mustard seed. Jesus does not explain its meaning, so I will give it my best attempt here.

When we talk about sharing the gospel with others, we may often times incorrectly assume that its our job to make sure people become saved. While this certainly can sometimes happen, it shouldn’t be our expectation when talking to a non-believer, that our two-minute conversation is going to have them dropping to their knees and accepting Jesus as their savior. Unlikely.

Instead, we need to more often think in terms of planting seeds. The mustard seed is very small, like a grain of sand. Our prayer should be that each day we might have the opportunity to plant a small seed of faith into someone’s life.

Here’s an example of how the Lord might work his will in the life of an unbeliever:

I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. (1 Corinthians 3:6-9)

Imagine a coworker comes to you and shares some good news. You respond with “Oh, praise God, that is a blessing from the Lord.” Perhaps that’s it. That’s all you say about God, but it was enough to plant a tiny seed of faith in that person.

A few days later someone else walks into that person’s life and waters that tiny seed. And a few days later still another person interacts with them and waters that tiny seed. As time goes on, all those waterings cause that tiny seed to begin growing. Perhaps the person finds themselves now thinking more often of God. Their heart is becoming soft. Then, finally, one day they have a conversation with yet another person. The two of them talk about God and this person senses they are right on the fence, so he shares the gospel with them and they accept Jesus as their savior.

None of those people are aware of one another. None of them know what took place previously, or afterward. The individual himself may not necessarily even remember all the people that spoke words of truth into his life. But little by little the seed grew into an abundant faith that has led the person to be saved. Thus, the kingdom of heaven grows within them into a spiritually big tree, even though it all started with the tiniest seed.

Verse 33

In verse 33, Jesus is repeating the same point he made in the parable of the mustard seed. Leaven is mixed into the flower until it is throughout the entire batch. The leaven is like the tiny seed. Mixing the flower is like that of watering the seed.

Verses 34-35

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:

“I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”

Recall early that Jesus said the reason he speaks to the crowds in parables is because their hearts were hard. God is looking for people who will worship him in faith, not by proofs. The disciples had softer hearts and thus they were able to understand his parables. And where they didn’t understand, Jesus explained it to them using plain language. Recall from the book of John that when the first disciples, who were with John The Baptist, heard John’s testimony about Jesus, they followed Jesus. One even ran to fetch his brother and told him, “ we have found the Messiah”. So from the very beginning of Jesus’s ministry, his disciples (except Judas) had put their faith in Jesus. (See John 1: 35-51)

Verse 36

Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

First, before we dive into the parable of the weeds, I find it interesting that Jesus dismissed the crowds. He sent them away. We just finished reading that he spoke to them in parables because their hearts were hard. Now Jesus is sending people away from himself. This is very reminiscent of Him saying in Matthew chapter seven, “Depart from me, I never knew you.”

Elsewhere in the bible it says, “Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away” (John 6:37). But here we see Jesus sending people away. Why? Because they were not given to Jesus by the father. They are those who are seeking only to get something from Jesus, but they don’t put their faith in Him.

Verses 37-43

Let’s review the parable of the weeds and then Jesus’s explanation.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away. When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.

The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

‘No,’ he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”

Now let’s review Jesus’s explanation:

“The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness. And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

Without question, this is an end-times prophecy. Jesus sows good seed. The field is the world, the good seed are those who are saved. The weeds are those who are not saved. Satan is the one who sows into people’s hearts a rejection of Jesus Christ. The harvest is the end of the age. The harvesters are angels.

Those who are not saved are thrown into the lake of fire. The righteous will then be given glorified bodies. The weeds being thrown into the furnace comes immediately after the great day of judgement which itself comes immediately after the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ, which itself comes immediately after the tribulation.

Verse 44

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.

The key point in this verse is that the man sold all he had in order to raise enough money to buy the field containing the treasure. In other words, the buried treasure was far more valuable than all his earthly possessions combined. This is how valuable your entrance into the kingdom of heaven is. It is worth more than every single thing you value on this earth combined. Be willing to give up anything that hinders you from following Jesus with all your heart.

I once heard the story of a man who was incredibly good at playing chess. His dream was to become the world’s top chess player. All he ever did was live and breathe chess. But one day he met Jesus Christ and became saved. Jesus said to him, “Stop playing chess”. Because he loved Jesus with all his heart, he gave up his dream and stopped playing chess and instead followed Jesus. Jesus was more valuable to him than his love for the board game.

Now, let me make something clear, the message “stop playing chess” was for this man alone because chess would have distracted him from Jesus. By writing this account herein, I am in no way saying that everyone needs to stop playing chess. The issue is not chess. The issue is what do you value the most. Be willing to give it up if it draws you away from Jesus.

Verses 45-46

This is another illustration of the same point. Entrance into the kingdom of heaven is worth more than everything you possess in this life.

Verses 47-51

It’s been said that when something is repeated in the bible, it is because God is placing emphasis on its importance. Jesus is making the same point here again that he made in the parable of the weeds. This is the same end-times prophecy. At the end of the age the saved and the un-saved will be separated. The un-saved will be tossed into the lake of fire.

Verse 52

There have been many different interpretations regarding the meaning of verse 52. Let’s examine it closely. The first thing I see is the phrase “For this reason”. This is referring to whatever was previously just spoken; however, I don’t believe Jesus is referring to the separation of the saved from the un-saved at the end of the age. Instead, I think Jesus is referring to his parables of hidden treasures. Remember, the first man found treasure hidden in a field. The second man found a pearl of great value.

Now Jesus says, “For this reason, every scribe who has been discipled in the kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

I believe what’s being said here is that the Word of God is the treasure and that it keeps on giving. A scribe is a person who studied the Law of Moses and made handwritten duplicates of it. This is what compels me to conclude that the parable is about people who are diligent about studying God’s word. Furthermore, Jesus mentions new treasures as well as old.

It has been my experience, and the experience of nearly all devote Christians that you can read a passage from the bible numerous times, but this time, when you read it again, you suddenly see something you never noticed before. Thus, the Bible is like the storeroom filled with treasures. The person who studies the Bible diligently (like a scribe) will continue to cherish the spiritual truths they’ve already learned (i.e. old treasures), but out of this same storeroom they will also find new spiritual truths (i.e. new treasures) they hadn’t notice before.

Be diligent about studying your Bible. Explore different methods of bible study and different translations. Purchase an exhaustive concordance so that you can look up the intended meaning of the original languages. Participate in group Bible studies. In other words, be excited about getting to know God. Treat your Bible knowledge as something you long to excel at.

Some people pour their life into meaningless hobbies. I was once fascinated by individuals who create model ships out of paper. They build them with so much detail that you might not even believe it was all made from paper. These people spend thousands of hours building paper ships.

Imagine your spiritual growth if you had that much passion for God’s word. Pray to the Lord for such a passion and develop the ability to perform in-depth Bible studies.

Verses 53-58

There is a phrase, “familiarity breeds contempt”, it means that when a person has extensive knowledge about an individual, they may tend to not have a high level of respect for that person.

Jesus says “Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honor.”

This is why I think it’s important for children to have, in addition to their parents, a wise spiritual mentor who is not their parent or immediate family member. Children in their teens may tend not to listen to their parents. Meanwhile someone who is not of their own household can give exactly the same advice the parents have been giving, and all of a sudden the teenager acts like she’s hearing this great wisdom for the first time.

My wife is our childrens’ homeschool teacher. Many times when she asks our daughter to read something, or to sit still and listen, our daughter acts like it’s the greatest burden in the world. But when we take that same daughter to her dance class, the dance teacher (who is not her mother) can issue a dozen instructions over the course of an hour and our daughter will do every single thing she’s told to do. Why? Because her mother is the “prophet” without honor in her own household.